Pill dispenser



1960 .1. J. STIFTER PILL DISPENSER Filed Oct. 21. 1958 JNVENTOR. JOH N J. STIFTE I I 5 5 5 f AVIIIIII II Y w A VII 1 Mo OB HM R "H; J ER M B L L Y BC B PILL DISPENSER John J. Stifter, RR. 1, Valley City, Ohio Filed Get. 21, 19 58, Ser. No. 768,723 4 Claims. (Cl. 141-'-321) My invention relates to a pill dispenser. It has to do, more particularly, with a dispenser which will dispense in each dispensing operation only a predetermined dosage of pills, tablets, or the like.

As is well known, there is considerable danger in having containers of pills, which are of a harmful nature when taken in large. amounts, readily available to children since larger numbers of the pills can be discharged from the containers merely by removing the closures from the containers and tipping the containers. Also, even with adults, these containers of pills are sometimes dangerous when it is necessary to dispense the pills in a poor light or if the person dispensing them is of advanced age or has poor vision. An arrangement for measuring a predetermined dosage would therefore be desirable.

It is the main object of my invention to provide a container and dispenser for pills which is so designed and constructed that only one pill or a predetermined number of pills or dosage can be dispensed in each opening of the container and dispensing operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a sealing closure and dispenser for pills of the type indicated which may be mounted on an ordinary standard container without any modifications to such container.

Various other objects will. be apparent.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 707,203, filed January 6, 1958.

According to my invention, I provide a container and closure which cooperates in a special manner to limit the dispensing from the container to a single pill or predetermined dosage of pills or other medicine in each dispensing operation. The present invention relates specifically to a sealing and dispensing closure structure which can be mounted on an ordinary standard container so that it is not necessary to provide expensive special co'ntainers. The sealing and dispensing closure consists mainly of a flat diaphragm which is provided with radial slits to form inwardly extending pointed tabs which meet at the center of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is made of flexible resilient material so that ordinarily the tabs stay in horizontal sealing position but can be pushed inwardly or downwardly into the container by a tubular socket member. This member has a socket of a predetermined size to receive proper dosage of pills from the container, that is, one or more pills. When the tubular member is pushed inwardly or downwardly into the container, the diaphragm tabs are flexed inwardly or downwardly so as to expose the open inner or lower end of the tubular socket member to the contents of the container. Thus, when the container is inverted, the proper dosage of pills enters the tube. Subsequently, when the tube is withdrawn, the diaphragm automatically seals the container.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated examples of my invention but it is to be understood that other forms of the invention may be provided without departing from basic principles.

2,9515% Patented Oct. 25, 1960 In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an axial sectional view taken through a container having a sealing and dispensing closure mounted thereon in accordance with my invention, the closure being in normal sealing position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary axial sectional view of the upper portion of the container with the tubular socket member of the closure inserted in the center of the slit diaphragm to open the diaphragm.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the container inverted after insertion of the tubular socket member in the slit diaphragm to receive the proper dosage of pills.

' Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the tubular socket member withdrawn from the slit diaphragm with the proper dosage therein.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the slit diaphragm sealing and dispensing member.

Figure 6 is a sectional line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing a diflerent form of closure structure.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the modified structure with the tubular socket member withdrawn from the inverted container to permit closing of the slit diaphragm.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing the tubular socket member completely withdrawn with the proper dosage and the slit diaphragm closed.

With reference to the drawing, in Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, I have illustrated the form of my invention in which it 'is desirable to provide an additional seal as well as the slit sealing diaphragm. In this form of the invention, the sealing and dispensing closure is mounted on the upper end of a container 11. This container may be of plastic or glass and may be of a standard form having a narrowed neck 12 with an outer bead 13 formed on the upper edge thereof. This bead is adapted to receive a diaphragm cap 14 which has a flexible beaded flange 15 adapted to snap over the bead 13 of the container. Thus, the diaphragm cap 14 can be forced onto or removed from the neck 12 of the container as with standard containers and closures now in use. The cap 14 may be formed of plastic or other flexible and resilient material.

For the purpose of this invention, the diaphragm cap 14 is provided with a plurality of radially extending slits i6v as shown best in Figure 5. These slits produce inwardly extending pointed flexible tabs 17 which meet at the center of the cap. The slits 16 preferably terminate along a circular line 18 inwardly of the flange 15. To open the diaphragm to permit the dispensing of the contents of the container 11, a tubular socket member 20 is provided. This socket member is carried centrally of a second cap 22 which will normally rest on the diaphragm cap 14 and which may be of similar material. This cap 22 is provided with a depending flexible flange 23 which will embrace the flange 15 of the diaphragm cap 14, being retained thereon by friction. As shown in Figure 1, the cap 22 normally covers and encloses the cap 14 with the tubular socket member having its open end 21 upwardly.

To dispense pills P from the container 11 in proper number, the cap 22' is first removed and inverted and the tubular member 20, with its open mouth 21 directed downwardly, is forced downwardly into and through the diaphragm cap 14, the tabs 17 thereof flexing downwardly and outwardly as shown in Figure 2. Then, if the container 11 is inverted as shown in Figure 3, a preview taken diametrically along 0 determined number of pills will enter the socket member 24 Now, if the cap 22 is withdrawn downwardly as shown in Figure 4, the socket member 20 will have the predetermined number of pills therein and the tabs 17 of the diaphragm cap 14 will automatically swing outwardly and upwardly into closing and sealing position. The container 11 may again be disposed upright and the cap 22 forced into position to completely cover and seal the diaphragm cap 14. Thus, a second seal, in addition to the diaphragm seal, is provided as a safety factor.

For some uses, the second safety seal will not be required and therefore a plug-type closure may be used. Therefore, the arrangement shown in Figures 7 to 9 may be provided. In this instance, the container 11a has a plain upper edge 12a. The diaphragm cap member 14a is a fiat diaphragm which may have its peripheral edge permanently sealed to the edge 12a of the container by suitable cement or by other means. The tabs 17a of the diaphragm are arranged exactly as before. The closure and socket member 20a is mainly of tubular form but has a stop flange 21a extending outwardly therefrom intermediate its axial extent.

With this structure, ordinarily the member 20a is inserted in the diaphragm and functions as a plug closure, the tabs 17a being pushed inwardly or downwardly into the container but resiliently engaging the circumference of the member 20a to hold it in sealing and closing position. Inward movement of the member 20a into the container is limited by the stop flange 21a. To dispense a predetermined dosage of pills P it is merely necessary to invert the container 11a and withdraw the member 20a downwardly, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the diaphragm closure 14a automatically closing. The member 20a may be repositioned if desired in the manner shown in Figure 7 with its open end inserted in the diaphragm and its closed end uppermost.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have provided a container and closure which is particularly suitable for dispensing predetermined dosages of medicine, more specifically of pills or tablets, although it is not limited thereto. The dispensing and sealing means comprises a fiat wall member or diaphragm having the slits converging toward the center from a circle within the limits of the cap. The closure includes an integral or separate tubular socket member or plug which may be provided in any size diameter to receive a pecific size item, more specifically a pill, with the available space or depth of the socket in the tube limiting the number of pills or dosage possible to enter the socket. After the tubular socket is inserted in the slit diaphragm, a simple inversion of the container results in the feeding of the container contents into the socket by gravity. Although the slit diaphragm automatically seals the container when the tubular socket member is removed to prevent entrance of foreign material, an additional safety sealing cap may be provided over the slit diaphragm. With this structure, the container may be of any standard type and the closure members may be easily made to fit the container. No special equipment is needed to fill the containersv According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles of this invention have been explained and have been illustrated and described in what is new considered to represent the best embodiment. However, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a dispensing container of the type described and a separate socket member for receiving a predetermined portion of the contents of the container, said container including a body with a dispensing closure thereon in the form of a diaphragm wall member which is of resilient material and has tabs with slits therebetween, said tabs being resilient and normally extending in the plane of the diaphragm wall member towards the center thereof where they meet to seal the container but being yieldable inwardly into the body of the container to permit insertion of said socket member through the diaphragm for receiving contents of the container upon suitable inward pressure against the diaphragm tabs by said socket member, said socket member having a peripheral wall enclosing said socket, said socket having a closed inner end and an open month which has an exposed diaphragm-engaging edge, said edge being engaged with said diaphragm wall to flex said tabs inwardly, the socket in said socket member being of a size to receive and retain a predetermined amount of the contents of the container with the container positioned with its diaphragm wall member lowermost, said container body having an annular neck and the diaphragm wall member being flat and extending transversely across the neck, said diaphragm being of disc-like form and said slits extending radially thereof and converging towards the center thereof so that said tabs are resilient pointed tabs, said peripheral wall on said socket member being in the form of an annular skirt which has said exposed diaphragm-engagingredge at its outer edge.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the socket member is in the form of a plug-type closure which is normally positioned in said slit diaphragm wall member with the tabs thereof forced inwardly into the container.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which a second closure member is disposed over the diaphragm wall member and has a body portion covering the diaphragm and the tubular socket member formed thereon and extending in a direction outwardly of the body of the container.

4. In combination, a dispensing container of the type described and a separate socket member for receiving a predetermined portion of the contents of the container, said container including a body with a dispensing closure thereon in the form of a diaphragm wall member which is of resilient material and has tabs with slits therebetween, said tabs being resilient and normally extending towards the center thereof where they substantially meet to prevent outward discharge of contents of the container but being yieldable inwardly into the body of the container to permit insertion of said socket member through the diaphragm wall member for receiving contents of the container upon suitable inward pressure against the diaphragm tabs by said socket member, said socket member having a peripheral wall enclosing a socket which has a closed inner end and an open month which has an exposed diaphragm-engaging outer edge, said edge being engaged with said diaphragm wall member to flex said tabs inwardly, the socket in said socket member being of a size to receive and retain a predetermined amount of the contents of the container with the container positioned with its diaphragm wall member lowermost, the container body having a neck and the diaphragm wall member extending transversely across the neck, said diaphragm wall member having said slits extending radially thereof and converging towards the center thereof so that said tabs are resilient substantially pointed tabs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,413,480 Winter Dec. 31, 1946 2,446,085 Gronemeyer July 27, 1948 2,557,917 Schlesinger June 19, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 649,049 Germany Aug. 13, 1937 

